Good to his word, Kai found a spot alone on the sand. Morgan watched him sit cross-legged and scan the others as they spread out blankets and lay down in different parts of the room. After working together for so long, Morgan was surprised at the distance each member placed between them. Even she was guilty of seeking an area most distant from Tsu on one side and Tuck on the other, as if an unseen wedge separated them.
Despite having no fire, the sunlight streaming in the door provided plenty of light to see by. They surely didn’t need the blankets to keep warm. The covers served as a temporary barrier from the invasive fine sand. Morgan doubted if she would ever rid her body of the grit. In places, her skin had been rubbed raw. The smallest amount of sweat sent a stinging fire racing from irritated skin—a constant reminder of her loss of position.
Why had these people, her supposed friends, volunteered to help her take her throne back? Maybe they stalled her, letting Maa and the Genke destroy the empire so she might be destitute. If she discovered any of the company worked against her, she would have them and their families removed from the living…
She took a deep breath and forced the evil thoughts from her mind. Not knowing where they came from, she decided the brief lapse was from the stress and lack of sleep. There was no proof any of the company had other than honored intentions. Even Gia had acted within reason, if a pain in the neck.
Morgan listened as, one by one, her companions drifted off to sleep. Each had a specific tempo to their sleeping breaths. In the Labyrinth’s darkness, she’d quickly figured out who was who in the dark just by listening to them sleep. It was strange: she felt the constant sun diminished her hearing, or perhaps the ever-blowing wind covered the individual nuances. Inside this domed room, she was able to discern the individuals once again. From the sound, the others had fallen asleep quickly.
The soft sound of movement caught her attention. Still on her side, back to the warm stone wall, she watched as Kai stood and walked to the entrance, and with an intricate motion of his hands, he seemed to cast a spell over the door.
She couldn’t see the door shut, but somehow, she knew what he’d done or tried to do. There was no apparent effect from the waved hands. At least he didn’t bring the ceiling down on their heads. Maybe he was becoming more controlled.
He then stepped to the passageway leading deeper into the structure and cast the same spell. Morgan didn’t sense any difference. More than likely, it failed.
Despite not understanding the magic involved, this simple gesture made her feel safer. Perhaps the best magic was a jape no one knew lingered. They stayed long after being cast, silently doing what the mage intended.
Her tired eyes wanted to focus and watch Kai’s actions. Instead, fatigue quickly won the battle.
She closed her eyes and let the exhaustion of the journey take her into the land of dreams.
<=OO=>
The sound of a claxon woke her too soon.
Kai stood by the only exit.
Tsu, Tuck, and finally Gia roused themselves from their sleep. None seemed ready to fight, except with each other.
“What is that awful sound?” Gia asked.
“I alarmed the doors, in case anything approached.” Kai stood, his attention focused outside.
“So now, what might have once gone past us without a second look will surely be drawn here by that racket,” Gia growled. He stomped toward Kai—fist ready to cold-cock the mage from behind.
Tsu rushed to Kai’s side, stepping between Gia and his intended target.
Tuck tried to calm the startled La’nora.
Everything happened so fast…
Morgan hung back. There was still the interior door to worry about. There was no guarantee an attack wouldn’t come from the inside. A ruse from the front might be an invitation for an attack at the rear.
Gia struggled against Tsu’s firmer grip. His body moved up and down, searching to escape. “That is great, but there is nothing out there.”
Kai remained steadfast. “At least nothing you can see.”
With a great heave, the palace guard sent Gia flying to the center of the room. Tsu held up his hands, “Perhaps… Gia, you can go outside and look if you think you can do better.”
“There is nothing out there to see. Just more of his broken magic crap… I’m going back to sleep.” Gia stumbled back to his corner of the round room.
Nothing came through the door.
“Something is here. I can feel it.” Kai whispered, “We are not alone.”
“You’re crazy,” Gia shouted. Saliva flew from his mouth, reminding Morgan of a rabid animal.
Morgan tried to speak over the ruckus. “Perhaps this place is playing tricks on your mind. I think we all feel a little on edge.”
Gia ignored all reason. “All you had to do was stand watch and wake us if anything approached.”
“Which I did.” Kai kept watching outside.
Morgan was shocked that the others discounted Kai’s warning without further investigation. Something seemed amiss. “Guys… now is not the time.” More than anything, she wanted to lash out, bash in Gia’s skull for his arrogance and constant, blatant abuse of Kai.
Now all three of the men joined in the center, a three-way fistfight on the verge of breaking out.
Morgan tried once more. “Please stop it. Something isn’t right…”
Gia swung wildly at Kai’s head. Tsu did his best to keep the healer and dragon slayer from coming to blows.
The longer the confrontation continued, the more certain Morgan was that this fight was unnatural. “All of you, stop! Listen!” Too bad none heard her pleas for calm. Morgan noticed a dark shape coalescing behind them, blocking the exit.
Tuck’s loud yet calm voice shattered the ongoing war of words. “We are, indeed, not alone.”
Morgan watched as the specter grew substantial, the darkness from the shape blocking most of the sunlight. Her heart fled to the pit of her stomach. Not again… she thought.
From a meaningless mass, a floating body took shape, its face cloaked in obscurity. The apparition wore the clothing of her father, Emperor Daa’Ca-Wu.
Morgan wanted to scream. Perhaps she did. No matter how hard she tried, her chest was locked… her entire body frozen in place.
Fear, guilt, rage, disgust, loneliness, she couldn’t name the emotions playing havoc on her mind. She waited, wanting to flee but unable to, forced to endure yet another admonishment from the dead.
A dry voice spoke out for all to hear. “You need to travel inward… to the column. Find magical allies amongst the mages living in the desert. It is the only hope to unseat Maa and free our people.” Daa’s voice ebbed and flowed on the shifting wind. They were the exact same infuriating words as last time.
Kai stepped beside her now, his hands ready to cast in her defense.
She found the mage’s presence comforting. He gave her strength to rebel. “I don’t think so…” Morgan shouted, “I need an answer…” Despite her bravado, Morgan felt like a child asking for more dessert. Feeling small and insignificant only enraged her more.
The voice kept speaking, “Travel swiftly, my dear. You are the empire’s only hope.”
Like the vision, Morgan could only repeat her words. “I don’t think so, unless you give me more.” She clenched her fists, anything to keep her mind calm under the growing terror.
“You must pick a side,” the apparition said.
“Stop telling me what to do!” Her outburst was more fitting of a child than a young woman of power and breeding.
Morgan gave up. In a fit of rage, or maybe driven insane by the whole idea of her dead father’s recurring visits, she ran into the building—screaming the entire way. Desperate for anything to escape the voice that would not answer her simplest of questions. Her hands tugged at her braided hair—the added pain brought no end to her outburst.
She didn’t know if this was her father or not, but she would not be driven insane by a ghost. If anything, the apparition seemed more like her father than her father, always in the room but never present. She, ever by his side, even if his mind remained leagues away, plotting some new strategy to increase his empire.
She didn’t stop running until she reached the deepest room of the building, nearly pitch black. She practically ran headfirst into the farthest wall. She spun around, fully expecting the ghost to have followed her to complain more.
Instead, Kai ran into the room right on her heels, swiftly followed by Tsu.
Gia shouted, “Stop!” The warning came too late.
Not that it would have helped. Morgan and the others ignored the dragon hunter as they raced ahead.
A door materialized silently where once none stood—shutting out the little filtered light in a blink.
Gia pulled up short, fists slamming into the stone wall that replaced the opening.
None spoke.
Morgan struggled to rein in her ragged breaths. She heard movement but was afraid to speak. Morgan had no idea what horrors lurked in this dark room. Anticipation tore at her heart. She waited for her death to come—swiftly and painfully.
Assuming they all stood in the pitch black, Morgan leaned against the wall. Anything to give her a sense of protection.
Strands of her black hair tickled her fingers. She’d probably pulled chunks of her hair out, unsure if it was fear, anger, or something new that chased her from the apparition. It didn’t matter. As the leader, she’d unwittingly lured the others into a trap. Guilt replaced any emotion that drove her to the reckless sprint into the unknown. She’d been trained better than this. Her actions endangered herself and those who helped her.
Her mind raced, but her body had used what little energy it held. Weary at her failure, spent from lack of sleep, Morgan let the wall hold her upright while she slipped her butt to the stone floor.
A familiar voice from the dark lifted her spirits from the dark contemplations of death.
“Just a moment…” Kai’s voice seemed relaxed. Morgan had expected him to be more incensed than she was.
A soft glow filled the room. From his robes, Kai pulled a light-globe. In an instant, he had it lit. The soft magic light made the triangle-shaped room look smaller. Not nearly as terrifying. Each walled section was wider than her arms could reach. It was a strange shape for a room—almost ceremonial.
Morgan whimpered, “I’m sorry,” before burying her face in her hands.
Tsu came and sat next to her. “It is all right…” Then he asked Kai, “Do you have any japes that can remove that door?”
Kai shrugged. “I can probably blast the door, but we would also probably die in the process… Let’s think about this before we resort to violence.”
Tsu shook his head. “And if something comes to take a bite out of us?”
“We are in a solid stone room… We should be safe. For the moment…” Kai stepped to the wall that moments ago wasn’t there, inspecting the surface with his light. “Besides, I don’t think this is a monster’s lair… at least not a normal one.”
Tsu looked up and nodded.
“Why?” Morgan asked.
Kai turned on his heel, pausing to stare at each wall from the center. “No bones… or scat. This place is near spotless, except for the sands of time.”
Morgan whispered, “I’m sorry I ran away. I don’t know what came over me.”
“In the most stressful situations, the bravest of people might experience an overwhelming urge to escape. You are not facing mortal opponents but the supernatural… magical… What do you expect to happen?” Tsu cooed to her.
“That is all well and good, but how can I lead my people if I’m afraid of the unknown?” Morgan wanted to look at her guard while he spoke, but the shame of her actions kept her head lowered.
“A good leader needs to know when to be afraid and when to stand up for themselves. There is a time to fight and a time to run away. No one is born perfect. We are all constantly learning.”
Kai stood over them. “I hate to be a bother, but can you two move aside? I would like to examine the wall behind you…”
“Have you found a way out?” Morgan’s heart lifted with hope. She looked up from the ground and wiped the tears away with her dirty hands.
Kai looked down at the princess. “Not yet, but there is an etching on the other two walls. I want to see if there is a third…”
Tsu helped Morgan to her feet, and they shuffled to the far corner.
“Hum. Interesting.” Kai ran his fingers over a mark Morgan couldn’t see.
Tsu asked, “What is it?”
“The same symbol on the flask.” Kai brought out the silver container and compared the two.
“And your back,” Morgan added hopefully.
Tsu stepped forward—voice lowered to a growl, “Does that mean this trap was meant for you? You triggered it?”
Kai shrugged. “I’m not sure what it means… But there is a matching mark on the floor.” He sat the globe in the center of the room.
It provided enough light for Morgan to see the strained look of fear on their faces. She hoped she didn’t look as frightened, but the way her stomach rolled, she barely kept her panic under control.
Morgan scolded Tsu, “Please stop it. It is not his fault. We are here because of my actions. He told us to not head deeper.”
The mage had out the strange purple glass and studied the room.
Tsu kept talking, “When Gia and I searched earlier, we found no room like this.”
Kai patted the wall that closed behind them. “If this wall was up, how could you?” He moved to the center of the room and looked over the three walls.
“All this is my fault… I should have been braver,” Morgan rambled to herself.
Kai stepped up to Morgan. “Frailty of our body and mind is a fact of nature. No one can take the blame for being human.” Kai’s words didn’t help.
“But…” Morgan couldn’t forgive herself. No matter the justification, she knew all this was her fault. Everything that happened over the past weeks, all the heartaches, pain, and death, all sat heavily on her shoulders.
Kai moved Tsu to a wall. “Please, I have an idea. Not sure if it will work, but it beats sitting here waiting to starve.”
“We will die of thirst long before we starve.” Tsu didn’t need to correct the mage.
“Not so fast…” Kai held up the flask. “Besides, this is just my first try to extricate us from this room. Give me a few more failures before we lose all hope.” He held Tsu’s hand a few inches from a place on the wall’s center.
“That’s the best bad idea I’ve heard all day.” Morgan wanted to say more, but the words failed her. How could a task as simple as touching a stone wall fill her heart with such dread?
“Princess?” Kai had stepped to her side and motioned for her to step to the second wall. Like Tsu, he moved her hand to within a few inches of the wall. “When I count to three, we want to touch our spot on the wall at the same time… not before, please.” He stepped to the third wall.
Tsu asked, “Are you sure this is wise?”
“Nope. This might be a really bad idea.” He counted to three slowly, his head bobbing for a visual cue.
Three hands hit three walls, nearly at the same time.
The symbols flashed a blinding bright green light. It didn’t end with one but continued with a cadence of deep pulses.
Morgan could easily see the three dragons tied into a knot now. The green light throbbed as if a heartbeat. Out of reflex, she tried to pull away and cover her eyes but found her hand was stuck to the wall. It was quickly apparent she wasn’t the only one with her hand stuck.
“What did you do?” Tsu struggled to free his hand, but it was stuck as well.
“I’m trying to get us out of here…” Kai’s brow furrowed in thought or worry, Morgan wasn’t sure. “I’m working on it.”
The glow ball dropped. The center stones vanished before her eyes, revealing packed sand below.
“Can we dig out?” Morgan hoped they could remove enough sand to gain their freedom. She didn’t consider the missing stones lay completely out of reach. There was a chance she might hit the lip with the end of her staff, but to dig a way to safety proved out of the question.
Before either man could respond, like the sand of an hourglass, the sand slipped from view. The light globe followed into the quickly enlarging hole.
As the light left them, the three humans looked to one another.
Tsu said, “Well, shit.”
An unknown voice echoed in the small chamber. “Nothing is more dangerous to a fragile male ego than an independent woman, willing to express her opinion. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“What the Infernum does that mean?” Kai pulled harder now.
All three struggled against the bonds to no avail.
Morgan was confident they were about to learn what was coming to eat them. She wished the light had remained in the room. It would have been nice to see her friends one last time before they met their shared fate. She answered with a whisper, “You are correct.”